Head coach Tom Izzo expresses emotion during the second half of the game against Penn State University in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament on March 9, 2017 at the Verizon Center in Washington D.C. The Spartans defeated the Nittany Lions, 78-51.
—For the first time since 1974, the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish will come to East Lansing and play MSU in part of the 2017-18 Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
According to a release by MSU Athletic Communications, the game will be televised on the ESPN channel network, with the date, time and specific network designation to be announced at a later date. ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU will combine to televise all 14 games of the Challenge.
The game will be MSU's first against the Irish since 2014, when the Spartans dropped a 79-78 overtime game in South Bend, Indiana. Prior to their meeting in 2014, the two teams had not met since the 1979 NCAA Tournament regional final.
MSU is 35-60 all-time against Notre Dame. This will be Notre Dame's first-ever trip to the Breslin Center. MSU is 7-10 in Big Ten/ACC Challenge history, with a 6-2 record at the Breslin.
The Spartans are ranked No. 3 in Myron Medcalf's way-too-early preseason Top 25 poll on ESPN.com, while the Irish are ranked No. 21.
MSU also announced last week it will play Duke on Nov. 14 in Chicago, Southern Utah on Dec. 9, Oakland University on Dec. 16 at Little Caesar's Arena in Detroit and Long Beach State on Dec. 21 as a part of the team's non-conference schedule.
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